Senate Ways & Means Schedules Public Hearing on Closing Vital Records SB 5332

by Charles Hansen

There will be a public hearing on Senate bill 5332 February 19 at 3:30 pm

Members of Senate Ways & Means Committee

SenatorRoomPhone
Rolfes, Christine (D)
Chair		303 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7644
Frockt, David (D)
Vice Chair, Operating, Capital Lead		224 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7690
Mullet, Mark (D)
Capital Budget Cabinet		415 Legislative Building(360) 786-7608
Braun, John (R)
Ranking Member		403A Legislative Building(360) 786-7638
Brown, Sharon (R)
Assistant Ranking Member, Operating		202 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7614
Honeyford, Jim (R)
Assistant Ranking Member, Capital		112 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7684
Bailey, Barbara (R)203 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7618
Becker, Randi (R)316 Legislative Building(360) 786-7602
Billig, Andy (D)307 Legislative Building(360) 786-7604
Carlyle, Reuven (D)233 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7670
Conway, Steve (D)241 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7656
Darneille, Jeannie (D)237 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7652
Hasegawa, Bob (D)223 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7616
Hunt, Sam (D)405 Legislative Building(360) 786-7642
Keiser, Karen (D)219 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7664
Liias, Marko (D)309 Legislative Building(360) 786-7640
Palumbo, Guy (D)402 Legislative Building(360) 786-7600
Pedersen, Jamie (D)235 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7628
Rivers, Ann (R)204 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7634
Schoesler, Mark (R)314 Legislative Building(360) 786-7620
Van De Wege, Kevin (D)212 John A. Cherberg Building(360) 786-7646
Wagoner, Keith (R)109A Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7676
Warnick, Judy (R)103 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7624
Wilson, Lynda (R)110 Irv Newhouse Building(360) 786-7632

Wednesday Nostalgia

by Charles Hansen

Who remembers the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle?

Or perhaps the World’s Fair in Spokane, aka Expo ’74?

If you did attend these events, or any other similar, have you written down your experiences there for your posterity??? All you have to do is Google the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and see the images and write-ups about all the new and fabulous technology shown there to realize that our two world’s fairs did exactly the same thing: Showcased new technology. So do, for the sake of your grandchildren, do scribble down your memories. They will be so glad you did.

Tuesday Trivia

by Charles Hansen

Ever given a thought to street names in a housing subdivision?? There may be genealogy clues hiding there in plain sight.

Take this Oswald street sign. It’s my understanding that the developer can name the streets most anything he wants and he often picks name suitable to the history and goings-on in the community.

In 1912, Ethel and John Peter Oswald bought land west of Spokane and raised a family of five children there. A grandson still owns the original house….. which is one mile from where this sign was erected. Do the folks living along Oswald Street ever give a thought to where the name originates?

My daughter lived in Pullman on Itani Street. She was told that was the developer’s mother-in-law’s name.

Monday Mystery

by Charles Hansen

Know where the World’s Largest Egg Sculpture is?????

Did you guess Winlock, Washington, in Lewis County?

In the 1920s Lewis County was the second largest egg producer in the U.S. So they have this wonderful statue, which they often repaint as the mood strikes, to celebrate their “eggy” history.

Bend Genealogical Society Spring Seminar

by Charles Hansen
Bend Genealogical SocietyBend, Oregon
Dear Genealogical and Historical Society Friends,
We are excited to announce our upcoming Seminar events, which are on two days this year.Warren Bittner, CG, nationally-known genealogist and educator, will be in Bend for a Friday afternoon German research workshop on March 29; and a Saturday all-day Seminar on March 30 with four presentations that will benefit both beginning and advanced genealogists. The Web of Evidence: Proof and DisproofDeath Records as a Starting PointTen Genealogical Lessons I Learned the Hard WayExhausting Research to Find an Impossible Immigrant
PLEASE NOTE: The Seminar events will be at different venues this year than past years.
Friday Workshop:   Williamson Hall, 2200 NE Hwy 20, Bend, OR 97701 (We can email a map showing its location in Bend, if needed.) 
Saturday Seminar:  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 60800 Tekampe Rd., Bend OR 97702  As in the past, lunch is included in the cost of the Saturday Seminar. At the Friday afternoon workshop, we will only provide some light snacks. An event flyer and registration form that you may use to inform your members of our Seminar events this year. Payment can be made with check and registration form via US mail. 
Deadline for Registration is March 25.The Seminar flyer and registration form are also available on our website at: http://www.orgenweb.org/deschutes/bend-gs/springseminar.html Come on one day or two days; and enjoy this year’s Spring learning opportunities with the family history community in Bend. We look forward to meeting your members this year!Sandy Thompson, TreasurerBend Genealogical Societybgs@bendbroadband.com or phone: (541) 317-9553

Genealogical Forum’s Thursday Evening E-News

by Charles Hansen

THE GENEALOGICAL FORUM’s Thursday Evening E-News Edition February 7, 2019
Curious about the status of your GFO Membership? We’d love to have you as a GFO Member!
For more information visit www.gfo.org.
Contact us at info@gfo.org or 503-963-1932. Be sure to check the complete GFO CALENDAR.
Also, don’t miss the current issue of The Forum Insider During inclement weather this winter, lease be sure to check our Facebook Page or website to see if we’re open! Or, call the library at 503-963-1932 to insure someone is here.
GFO is Proud to Offer Black History Resources
This Black History Month, we’d like to remind you that GFO has dozens of books to help with your African American ancestral research. 80% of genealogical information still has not been digitized. It’s always worth exploring what’s on the bookshelves. Our holdings include:
* Black history: a guide to civilian records in the National Archives
* List of free Black heads of families in the first census of the United States, 1790 By National Archives Record Service
* The African-American century: How Black Americans have shaped our country
* An index of African Americans identified in selected records of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands We’ve added more African American titles to our collection in just the last year, so if you haven’t been in for awhile, come see what’s new!
Explore Fold3’s Black History Collection for Free this Month
In recognition of Black History Month, Fold3 is making the records in its Black History Collection available for free through the end of February. Whether you’re searching for your ancestors or looking for primary documents to help with other research, the Black History Collection gives you access to more than a million documents, records, and photos that help to capture the African-American experience during five eras of American history: Slavery, The Civil War, Reconstruction & Jim Crow Laws, World War I & II, and the Civil Rights Movement. See all their wonderful resources in this collection here!
Join GFO’s Great Lakes Special Interest Group this Saturday!
“Lockport, Erie Canal” — by W. H. Bartlett, 1838 Erie Canal Opened the West to Settlement We all learned about the Erie Canal back in 6th grade. But what do we know about how it affected the experiences of our Great Lakes Region ancestors? The Canal enticed immigrants, settlers, and workers with the promise of better lives, and interestingly, it transported more than just people and goods. Come join GFO’s Great Lakes Special Interest Group this Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. as they discuss the importance of this historic canal on our ancestors. All Special Interest Group meetings at the GFO Library are free and open to the public.
PMUG College Teaches iOS for iPhone, iPad and iTouch
The Portland Mac Users Group returns to the GFO for another of its college classes on Wednesday, February 13th, 6 to 8 p.m. This class will look at the operating system our popular mobile Apple devices rely upon. • Learn how to arrange and manage your apps on your iPhone and iPad.
• Tour the Settings utility to customize how your device works.
• Learn how debug and reset your device when problems arise.
• Oversee your data usage to control programs that continue GPS tracking in the background.
• Find hidden functions in the iOS system that can enhance your use of these devices. All PMUG classes are free for GFO and PMUG members. To register: call 503-228-1779 or email college@pmug.org.
FTDNA Works With FBI, Apologizes for not Telling Customers
The big news in Genealogy circles last week was Family Tree DNA’s admission to BuzzFeed News that it was working with the FBI to match DNA from crime scenes against its database of more than two million records. BuzzFeed’s article states that “the cooperation with Family Tree DNA and the FBI marks the first time a private firm has agreed to voluntarily allow law enforcement access to its database.” Law enforcement has found genetic genealogy has helped to unlock cold cases which might never have been solved. Blogs, news sites and the GFO’s Facebook page lit up with concerns about privacy and the company’s lack of notification to customers. Bennett Greenspan, founder of FamilyTree DNA, wrote to customers a few days after the first stories hit, stating: “I am genuinely sorry for not having handled our communications with you as we should have. We’ve received an incredible amount of support from those of you who believe this is an opportunity for honest, law-abiding citizens to help catch bad guys and bring closure to devastated families.” The highly respected Legal Genealogist, Judy G. Russell, wrote two blog posts saying she was “gobsmacked” by the revelations and expressed disappointment in the company’s reply. She called out FTDNA for falsely implying that people who care about privacy don’t care about catching criminals. “Honest, law-abiding citizens who want bad guys to be caught can come down on either side of the police-access-to-genealogical-DNA-databases debates — and nobody, but nobody, should try to shame them into going along with something they truly don’t believe in by manipulative name calling. It’s a logical fallacy,” wrote Russell. This is a debate which will continue.
New Norwegian Resource: Folkebladet Newspaper
Augsburg University’s Lindell Library in Minnesota has recently completed a large digitization project of Folkebladet, a Norwegian newspaper that ran from 1877 to 1952. Considered the official newspaper of the Lutheran Free Church, the paper is an unparalleled resource for historians, genealogists, or anyone who is interested in reading Norwegian-American accounts from the past. Access it at their website here! You can search the text of the newspapers or browse by date.
Librarian Stewart Van Cleve is eager to help you if you have questions. You can reach him at vanclev1@augsburg.edu.
This week at GFO …
FRIDAY, February 8th Mexican Ancestry Group Due to illness, this meeting is cancelled this week. For questions about future meetings, please email Vince at sw@gfo.org. SATURDAY, February 9th Great Lakes Region Group 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. We all learned about the Erie Canal back in 6th grade. But what do we know about how it affected the experiences of our Great Lakes Region ancestors? The Canal enticed immigrants, settlers, and workers with the promise of better lives, and interestingly, it transported more than just people and goods. We will also take a quick look at some lesser-known ways to use the Family Search website and have time to share our genealogy brick walls and success stories. If your ancestors were in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, or Ontario, Canada, or if you just want to hear about this interesting time in US history, you are most welcome. Writers’ Forum 1 – 3 p.m. This is a peer group of genealogists, who meet to learn about writing and to share our writing with each other. Peggy Baldwin facilitates this group and can be reached at peggyrbaldwin@gmail.com or 503-916-9410. SUNDAY, February 10th Library Work Party 9 a.m. – noon There’s another work party at the GFO library today for those of you who can come. There’s lots to do and we’d love to have your help. Doors open at 9 and work usually wraps up around noon. Some people come for just an hour or so; others work the full time. You are welcome to do either. Any time you can share is valuable. Hope to see you there. WEDNESDAY, February 13th PMUG College: iOS for iPhone, iPad, iTouch 6 – 8 p.m. • Learn how to arrange and manage your apps on your iPhone and iPad.
• Tour the Settings utility to customize how your device works.
• Learn how debug and reset your device when problems arise.
• Oversee your data usage to control programs that continue GPS tracking in the background.
• Find hidden functions in the iOS system that can enhance your use of these devices. To register: call 503-228-1779 or email: college@pmug.org. Bring your Mac to participate with instruction. If you would like additional information for attending this class, please email the group’s leaders at college@pmug.org. (Note, updates may be sent for interruption of services due to weather etc. Check the GFO Facebook page and the GFO website for weather closure notices.)

Ulster Historical Foundation March Seminar

by Charles Hansen

Want to discover your Irish and Scots-Irish ancestors?

Many people believe that researching Irish ancestors is impossible because of the destruction of the Public Record Office in 1922. While many records were destroyed, others survived and large collections have come online in recent years.

Join Fintan Mullan and Gillian Hunt from the Ulster Historical Foundation during their annual United States lecture tour to learn how to get the most out of Irish resources and records, gain strategies for breaking down brick walls, and grasp important historical context that may help fill in gaps in your research.

Whether you are just beginning your Irish research or have been at it for years, you won’t want to miss these workshops!

Fuller contact details with additional information can be found at: https://www.ancestryireland.com/lecture-tour-2019/

Wednesday, 20 March, Coeur d’Alene, ID (1:00pm–8:30pm)

Location: Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814

Program title: Irish & Scots-Irish Research Seminar!

Hosts: Family Hunger, PLLC and Jan Clizer—Painting Scotland

Web:  https://janclizerpainting.com/event/116353/ulster-historical-foundation-lecture-in-coeur-dalene

Telephone:  219-462-0524

Main contact: Todd Neel – 208-691-0870 – twneel@gmail.com
Jan Clizer – 208-771-2912 – jan@janclizerpainting.com

Cost: Pre-Registration cost $35. Registration or attendance after cutoff date will be $50.

Please send Pre-Registration with check (to Family Hunger, PLLC), or cash (due 2/20/2019) to: Todd Neel,  Family Hunger, PLLC, 317 W. Spokane Ave, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.

Pre-Registration for the workshop due one month prior to the workshop, on February 20, 2018. Live Celtic music and dancing during the short evening dinner break.